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Google Music has gone live in the US, featuring a free music storage cloud service, app, Web player, free social music sharing on Google+ and store on the Android marketplace. Initially launcing as a beta in the US earlier this year, the new version launches today and will roll out to Android devices in the US over the next few days. The firm did not discuss any plans to offer Google Music outside the US. Users will be able to share songs with their Google+ Circles contacts who can listen to the full length of the tracks one time without making a purchase.

Research in Motion (RIM) has launched its cloud-based music service, BBM Music, has officially gone live, charging £4.99 per month. The service, which was first launched in a closed beta trial in August this year, allows users to build a personal music profile of 50 songs that can be listened to on or offline on their BlackBerry handset. Users can also share their profile with friends by inviting them to subscribe to their list, which they can also listen to in full both on and offline.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has launched a beta test of its cloud-based social music service BBM Music, backed by the four major music labels. BBM Music will feature select music from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music and EMI. A closed beta trial of the BBM Music service is starting on Thursday in Canada, the United States and the UK, the company said.

In a landmark ruling, a US federal judge has backed the music storage-locker business model, ruling that companies may develop services that store their customers' songs in the cloud. In a case for music locker service MP3tunes, a federal judge ruled that for the most part, cloud music lockers do not violate copyrights. The ruling is a victory for MP3tunes, which allows people to build online collections of music, mixing songs they have bought with those that have been offered for free on the internet.

Music artists on independent record labels are enjoying a far greater proportion of online sales than physical sales, according to new data. The figures, from Merlin, the global licensing agency for independent labels (the “virtual fifth major” on account of the slice of the market it represents), demonstrate the growing significance of the independent label sector in the new music industry.

Data reveals that 22 artists represented by Merlin members score number 1s in at least one major territory, while more than 50 Merlin member artists bagged top 5 albums in 2010/2011. In addition, the US album market share for independents is 57% greater for digital than physical sales, while paid tier usage of Merlin repertoire on streaming services (such as Spotify Premium) outstrips free tier use (Such as Spotify's ad funded service) by 20%.

Apple is reportedly trying to make a deal with record companies that would allow it to offer unlimited downloads for iTunes music purchases.

Apple, like its now arch rival Google, is said to be considering playing in the ‘digital locker’ space, providing a cloud-based file storage service specifically designed for music, from which MP3s already owned by users could be re-downloaded or streamed from any net connected device. Bloomberg cites three people with knowledge of the company’s plans, reporting that Apple is negotiating with Vivendi’s Universal Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music and EMI.